Drew Peterson blames murder conviction on bias against police officers
- Peterson was found guilty of killing his third wife, Kathleen Savio
- His fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, disappeared in 2007
- Pastor Neil Schori: It's clear 'Peterson just wants attention'
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You can watch the full part two of NewsNation’s interview with Drew Peterson above. Watch part one of the exclusive interview here.
(NewsNation) — Drew Peterson, whose sensational trial for killing his third wife ended in a guilty verdict and a 38-year prison sentence, denied allegations that he abused his wives during an exclusive interview with NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield.
“Disturbance doesn’t mean you were abused. It means you’re having a confrontation. And it got out of hand, where (there) was yelling and screaming and somebody called the police,” Peterson said. “Some of my wives were very combative. They didn’t want to put up with my bulls**t.”
Peterson, a former police officer continued to blame his conviction on a widespread bias against officers and said people want to believe “a cop is bad.” He said his case only gained popularity because everyone loves a “juicy” story.
Peterson was found guilty of killing his third wife, Kathleen Savio, a few months after their 2003 divorce. His fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, disappeared in 2007 and has never been found.
The former pastor of Stacy Peterson, Neil Schori, joined “Banfield” to react to Peterson’s interview. He says it’s clear Peterson “wants attention.”
He also shed light on the power dynamic between Stacy and Drew, noting she was just 17 years old and he was 47 when they got together.
“We all know now about abuse of power and authority. We can confidently say it is wrong when a person of authority uses that authority to control another person. I know that’s what Drew Peterson did with Stacy and all of his other wives,” Schori said.
Peterson, now 70, claims that Will County State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow intimidated witnesses, which Glasgow’s office denies. Judges have already rejected most of the arguments Peterson made in his most recent filing.
Peterson remains in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections and is expected to undergo a mental fitness evaluation at the request of his public defender, court records show.
If Peterson succeeds in his post-conviction efforts, it wouldn’t guarantee his release. After his initial conviction, Peterson was found guilty in 2016 of plotting to kill Glasglow and sentenced to 40 years in prison, the AP noted.
NewsNation Digital Reporter Katie Smith contributed to this report.